Improvement in plaiting-machines



NTTED STATES PATENT (DEEICEo ELIJAH L. HOWARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN A. S. GRAVES, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLAlTlNG-N'IACHIN ES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,642, dated November9, 1875; application filed February 23, 1875.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIJAH L. HOWARD, of Boston, Suffolk county,Massachusetts, have invented a Machine for Laying Plaits, of which thefollowing is a specification:

This invention relates to means for laying or running plaits in lace andother fabrics; and consists in the peculiar formation and arrangement ofthe teeth of a pair of endless aprons, whereby the plaits are laid.

The drawings accompanying this specificacation represent, in Figure l, aplan,'and Fig. 2 a sectional elevation, of a machine embodying myimprovements, while Fig. 3 is a View of a portion of each of its twoendless aprons, to be explained, the upper half of this last figurebeing in end elevatiom'and the lower half in Vertical section. Figs. 4.,5, and 6 are modiiications of my invention, to be hereinafter referredto. y

In these drawings, A represents the main frame of the machine,consisting of side standards or housings B B, spanned by suitable bracesor rods U O, 825e., and provided at front with a shelf, D, which isdisposed on a plane midway of the aprons, and is to facilitate theintroduction and feeding of the fabric between such aprons.

The endless aprons are shown at E and F, the journals a of the hinges ofeach fitting in succession into the notches of sprocket-wheels G,affixed to and rotated by horizontal shafts H, the journals of which aremounted in suitable bearings of the housings B Bin a manner that will beunderstood by all mechanics.

To rotate conjointly the shaft H, wheels G, and aprons E F, I affix tothe outer extremity of the front lower shaft a spur-gear, I, whichengages a twin-gear, J, aflxed to the upper shaft, a crank or pulleybeing applied to one of the shafts, by which power is transmitted.

Each apron or band, E or F, is composed of a series of thin slats orbars, b, Src., joined in parallelism by suitable longitudinal hinges, c,&c the ends of these hinges, as before stated, engaging successively thenotches of the sprocket-wheels. The teeth or blades, by which the actualplaiting of the fabric is effected, are shown in pairs at e e of oneapron, and at f f of the opposite apron, these blades being secured tothe inner faces of the bars b, centrally and parallel thereof. Theseries of blades of each pair slope upward and outward from a commoncenter at an obtuse angle to the longitudinal.v plane of the apron, andare of such width that the pairs of blades of one series interlock or engagethe teeth of the opposite series, as shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings. The series of teeth ofthe two aprons approach and meet eachother, and, 1in-ally, engage and travel together to the extent of thehorizontal plane of such aprons. The fabric to be plaited is introducedin a singletstrip, or two or'more layers between the aprons from theshelf D, and is seized by them, and carried along between the aprons,and discharged at the rear ends of the latter, having,

in its passage, been folded or plaited into the ordinary form of plats.Y p

It will be observed that the slope and arrangement of the blades aresuch that, as the fabric is crowded between, a lap or plait is laid,every alternate lap being laid over or folded in a direction opposite tothat of the next adjacent fold, and in this manner the plaiting of theentire fabric is effected.

I do not confine myself to the precise form or slope of the blades e f,as these may be varied to a considerable extent without departing fromthe essential features of my invention, as by slight changes in suchform and slope of the teeth I am enabled to produce various -designs ofplaiting or of flutng. For instance, in Fig. 4 of the drawings, I haverepresented aform of teeth for producing square box fluting,77 socalled, in Fig. 5, a form of teeth for producing side plaiting,77 socalled, and, in Fig. 6, aform of tooth for producing doublebox plaiting,so called.

I claiml In `a machine for laying plaits, the combination of two endlessaprons, geared to move in unison, and consisting each of jointedsections provided on their contiguous surfaces with undercut slopingblades, constructed and arranged for joint operation, as herein shownand described.

ELLIAH L. HOWARD.

Witnesses:

FEED. GURTrs, W. E. BOAEDMAN.

